Connor Franta Reveals His One Gay Regret

He feels cheated out of one part of growing up.

When Connor Franta was in high school, he says he was "deep in the closet." In fact, Connor didn't come out as gay until he was 21. Just because he wasn't out doesn't mean that Connor didn't have feelings for people. He actually had a lot of them, he just never acted on them. In a new video on his YouTube channel, Connor said that's his one gay regret.

In the video, Connor said he feels like he was cheated out of a key part of growing up because he was in the closet. While some of his friends were kissing or hooking up, Connor said he never had that experience, and he wishes he did.

"Growing up, a typical thing for a lot of kids to go through is having feelings for another person, being attracted to other people, and then following through with those feelings they kiss another person, the hook up with another person. All of these things are very normal, they're very natural things to do as you're coming into your sexuality, as you're growing up," Connor said. "I just can't help but think since I was in the closet so long, I was in the closet until I was 21, that I was oddly denied of that as a kid. It's something that frustrates me and it's something that I regret not doing or being able to do."

Even though lots of people go through high school never hooking up with anyone, Connor is right that exploring your feelings is a totally normal part of finding your sexuality. But it's not the only way to explore your sexuality. For people in the closet who don't feel comfortable or safe coming out, they might miss out on this part of growing up. While Connor said it's not a huge deal in retrospect — mostly because he's now able to be openly gay and feel comfortable with that — it's likely something that a lot of other LGBTQ teens can relate to.

"I just feel oddly cheated. I got to go see my friends kiss boys or kiss girls at parties and then talk about it the next day," Connor said. "I didn't get to do that."

During those years, Connor said there were so many times he wanted to make a move on a boy. Instead, he kept it quiet. What gives him a lot of hope is stories he hears from young LGBTQ people who are out of the closet in middle school or high school. But for anyone who does not come out of the closet until later in life, Connor wants you to know that he understands what it's like.